Wagner PMC claims being shelled by soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation

A unit of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation opened fire on a group of sappers of the Wagner PMC in the area of the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk region. The incident was reported by the press service of the public owner of a private military company, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Prigozhin published a report as of May 17, 2023, which was prepared by the commander of Wagner's engineer-sapper battalion.

According to the document, on that day, in the area of Ozarianivka and Opytne, soldiers of the Russian Ministry of Defense were noticed mining the road in the rear of the Wagner PMC, which at that time was still fighting for control over Bakhmut.

The text of the report on the shelling by the soldiers of the 72nd Infantry Brigade of sappers of the Wagner PMC

Representatives of the combat engineer reconnaissance unit started work on mine clearance. They found "IEDs in the form of large quantities of plastid, anti-tank mines and artillery shells". At the same time, the controlling devices, as the sappers found out, were located in the positions of the Russian army.

While mercenaries were demining, Russian Armed Forces opened fire with small arms from positions in the area of Semihyria.

Landmines which found out by Wagner PMC sappers

The Russian military destroyed a Wagner's URAL truck, but did not hit any of the personnel. After that, according to the report, the militants of the Wagner PMC were able to detain the servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces led by an officer. He turned out to be the commander of the 72nd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade (UIN 13647).

Wagner's militants are convinced that he was intoxicated. Prigozhin's press service released a video of the detained commander of the 72nd Brigade - Lieutenant Colonel Roman Venevitin. During the interrogation, he stated that he had organized the shelling of the PMC due to "personal animosity".

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As previously reported, Prigozhin personally, as well as a network of telegram channels loyal to him, actively disseminated information with severe criticism of the actions of the 72nd Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It was the soldiers of the same unit that during May lost their positions, which were previously held by the Wagner PMC in the south of Bakhmut (west of Klischievka).

There they were edged out by soldiers of the 3rd Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

This is the first case of public recognition of the military confrontation between various units of the invasion forces of Russia on the territory of Ukraine.